. A secret organization in the United States, formed in Iowa in 1887, ostensibly for the protection of American institutions by keeping Roman Catholics out of public office. Abbrev. commonly to A. P .A. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

‖n. [ Gr. di- = di`s- twice + &unr_; first + 'odoy`s, 'odo`ntos, tooth. ] (Paleon.) An extinct Quaternary marsupial from Australia, about as large as the hippopotamus; -- so named because of its two large front teeth. See Illustration in Appendix. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Hemi- + protein. ] (Physiol. Chem.) An insoluble, proteid substance, described by Schützenberger, formed when albumin is heated for some time with dilute sulphuric acid. It is apparently identical with antialbumid and dyspeptone. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ [ NL., fr. Gr. "y`steros the latter, following + pro`teros before, others, sooner.] (Rhet.) (a) A figure in which the natural order of sense is reversed; hysterology; as, valet atque vivit, “he is well and lives.” (b) An inversion of logical order, in which the conclusion is put before the premises, or the thing proved before the evidence. [1913 Webster]

n. [ L. lac, lactis, milk + E. protein. ] (Physiol. Chem.) A peculiar albuminous body considered a normal constituent of milk. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. (spurious) my^kos mucus (L. mucus) + E. protein. ] (Biol.) The protoplasmic matter of which bacteria are composed. [ archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. poly`s many + &unr_; first + &unr_;, &unr_;, tooth. ] (Zool.) A division of marsupials in which there are more fore incisor teeth in each jaw. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. protaktiko`s placing or placed before, fr. prota`ssein to place in front; pro` before + ta`ssein to arrange. ] Giving a previous narrative or explanation, as of the plot or personages of a play; introductory. [ 1913 Webster ]

. The radioactive chemical element, of atomic number 91; Atomic symbol Pa; at. wt. of longest-lived isotope, 231 (T1/2 = 32, 500 yrs.) Also called brevium, Uranium X2 and UX2. [ PJC ]

n. [ Proto- + Gr. 'agw`n a contest. See. Protagonist. So called because it was the first definitely ascertained principle of the brain. ] (Physiol. Chem.) A nitrogenous phosphorized principle found in brain tissue. By decomposition it yields neurine, fatty acids, and other bodies. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. prwtagonisth`s; prw^tos first + 'agonisth`s an actor, combatant, fr. 'agw`n a contest. ] One who takes the leading part in a drama; hence, one who takes lead in some great scene, enterprise, conflict, or the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

Shakespeare, the protagonist on the great of modern poetry. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. prw^tos first. ] (Physiol. Chem.) An amorphous nitrogenous substance found in the spermatic fluid of salmon. It is soluble in water, which an alkaline reaction, and unites with acids and metallic bases. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Proto- + Gr. &unr_;, &unr_;, a man. ] (Zool.) Having male sexual organs while young, and female organs later in life. -- Pro*tan"trism n. [1913 Webster]

a. (Bot.) Proterandrous. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L., fr. Gr. pro`tasis, fr. protei`nein to stretch before, forward; pro` before + tei`nein to stretch. ] 1. A proposition; a maxim. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gram.) The introductory or subordinate member of a sentence, generally of a conditional sentence; -- opposed to apodosis. See Apodosis. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The first part of a drama, of a poem, or the like; the introduction; opposed to epitasis. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. protatiko`s: cf. L. protaticus, F. protatique. ] Of or pertaining to the protasis of an ancient play; introductory. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ From Proteus. ] (Bot.) Of or pertaining to the Proteaceæ, an order of apetalous evergreen shrubs, mostly natives of the Cape of Good Hope or of Australia. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Of or pertaining to Proteus; characteristic of Proteus. “ Protean transformations.” Cudworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Exceedingly variable; readily assuming different shapes or forms; as, an amœba is a protean animalcule. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a protean manner. Cudworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Protected; p. pr. & vb. n. Protecting. ] [ L. protectus, p. p. of protegere, literally, to cover in front; pro before + tegere to cover. See Tegument. ] To cover or shield from danger or injury; to defend; to guard; to preserve in safety; as, a father protects his children. [ 1913 Webster ]

The gods of Greece protect you! Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To guard; shield; preserve. See Defend. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. By way of protection; in a protective manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. protectio: cf. F. protection. ] 1. The act of protecting, or the state of being protected; preservation from loss, injury, or annoyance; defense; shelter; as, the weak need protection. [ 1913 Webster ]

To your protection I commend me, gods. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which protects or preserves from injury; a defense; a shield; a refuge. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let them rise up . . . and be your protection. Deut. xxxii. 38. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A writing that protects or secures from molestation or arrest; a pass; a safe-conduct; a passport. [ 1913 Webster ]

He . . . gave them protections under his hand. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Polit. Econ.) A theory, or a policy, of protecting the producers in a country from foreign competition in the home market by the imposition of such discriminating duties on goods of foreign production as will restrict or prevent their importation; -- opposed to free trade. [ 1913 Webster ]

Writ of protection. (Law) (a) A writ by which the king formerly exempted a person from arrest; -- now disused. [ Eng. ] Blackstone. (b) A judicial writ issued to a person required to attend court, as party, juror, etc., intended to secure him from arrest in coming, staying, and returning. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Preservation; defense; guard; shelter; refuge; security; safety. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Polit. Econ.) The doctrine or policy of protectionists. See Protection, 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Polit. Econ.) One who favors protection. See Protection, 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. protectif. ] Affording protection; sheltering; defensive. “ The favor of a protective Providence.” Feltham. [ 1913 Webster ]

Protective coloring (Zool.), coloring which serves for the concealment and preservation of a living organism. Cf. Mimicry. Wallace. --
Protective tariff (Polit. Econ.), a tariff designed to secure protection (see Protection, 4.), as distinguished from a tariff designed to raise revenue. See Tariff, and Protection, 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being protective. W. Pater. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L.: cf. F. protecteur. ] 1. One who, or that which, defends or shields from injury, evil, oppression, etc.; a defender; a guardian; a patron. [ 1913 Webster ]

For the world's protector shall be known. Waller. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Eng. Hist.) One having the care of the kingdom during the king's minority; a regent. [ 1913 Webster ]

Is it concluded he shall be protector ! Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (R. C. Ch.) A cardinal, from one of the more considerable Roman Catholic nations, who looks after the interests of his people at Rome; also, a cardinal who has the same relation to a college, religious order, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lord Protector (Eng. Hist.), the title of Oliver Cromwell as supreme governor of the British Commonwealth (1653-1658). [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to a protector; protectorial; as, protectoral power. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. protectorat. ] 1. Government by a protector; -- applied especially to the government of England by Oliver Cromwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The authority assumed by a superior power over an inferior or a dependent one, whereby the former protects the latter from invasion and shares in the management of its affairs. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. L. protectorius. ] Same as Protectoral. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having no protector; unprotected. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The office of a protector or regent; protectorate. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ NL. protectrix. ] A woman who protects. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖n. m. ‖n. f. } [ F., p. p. of protéger. See Protect. ] One under the care and protection of another, especially one receiving counseling and assistance in career development. [ 1913 Webster + PJC ]

n. [ Gr. prw^tos first. ] (Physiol. Chem.) An older, imprecise term replaced by protein.
Proteid was defined in the 1913 Webster as “One of a class of amorphous nitrogenous principles, containing, as a rule, a small amount of sulphur; an albuminoid, as blood fibrin, casein of milk, etc. Proteids are present in nearly all animal fluids and make up the greater part of animal tissues and organs. They are also important constituents of vegetable tissues. See 2d Note under Food.” -- Pro"te*id, a.
Syn. -- protein. [1913 Webster +PJC]

Defensive proteid (Physiol. Chem.), one of a class of proteid substances, present in some animal tissues and fluids, that make the body immune to certain infectious diseases by destroying or rendering inactive the toxic products of bacterial growth; -- this is an older term replaced by more precise modern immunological concepts such as antibody and immunoglobulin. [archaic] [Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC]

‖n. pl. [ NL. See Proteus, and -oid. ] (Zool.) An order of aquatic amphibians having prominent external gills and four legs. It includes Proteus and Menobranchus (Necturus). Called also Proteoidea, and Proteida. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Changeable in form; resembling a Proteus, or an amœba. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Physiol. Chem.) In chemical analysis, the total nitrogenous material in vegetable or animal substances, obtained by multiplying the total nitrogen found by a factor, usually 6.25, assuming most proteids to contain approximately 16 per cent of nitrogen. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Gr. prw^tos first: cf. prwtei^on the first place. ] (Physiol. Chem.) any polymer of an amino acid joined by peptide (amide) bonds. Most natural proteins have alpha-amino acids as the monomeric constituents. All classical enzymes are composed of protein, and control most of the biochemical transformations carrie dout in living cells. They may be soluble, as casein, albumins, and other globular proteins, or insoluble (e. g. "structural proteins"), as collagen or keratin. "albumin", an older term for protein, is now used primarily to refer to certain specific soluble globular proteins found in eggs or blood serum, e.g. bovine serum albumin, the main soluble protein in teh serum of cattle, used as an enzymatically inert protein in biochemical research. In the 1913 dictionary, protein was defined as: “A body now known as alkali albumin, but originally considered to be the basis of all albuminous substances, whence its name.” [ 1913 Webster + PJC ]

Protein crystal. (Bot.) See Crystalloid, n., 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Physiol. Chem.) Of or related to protein; albuminous; proteid. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Proteinaceuos. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL. ] (Zool.) A South Africa genus of Carnivora, allied to the hyenas, but smaller and having weaker jaws and teeth. It includes the aard-wolf. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Protended; p. pr. & vb. n. Protending. ] [ L. protendere, protensum; pro before, forth + tendere to stretch. ] To hold out; to stretch forth. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

With his protended lance he makes defence. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Protend. ] Extension.[ Obs. ] “ By due degrees and long protense.” Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. protensio. ] A drawing out; extension. [ R. ] Sir W. Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Drawn out; extended. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Time is a protensive quantity. Sir W. Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL. See Proteolytic. ] (Physiol. Chem.) The digestion or dissolving of proteid matter by proteolytic ferments. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Proteid + Gr. &unr_; to loose. ] (Physiol.) Converting proteid or albuminous matter into soluble and diffusible products, as peptones. “ The proteolytic ferment of the pancreas.” Foster. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Proteid + -ose. ] (Physiol. Chem.) One of a class of soluble products formed in the digestion of proteids with gastric and pancreatic juice, and also by the hydrolytic action of boiling dilute acids on proteids. Proteoses are divided into the two groups, the primary and secondary proteoses. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_; earlier (fr. &unr_; before) + &unr_;, &unr_;, man, male. ] (Bot.) Having the stamens come to maturity before the pistil; -- opposed to proterogynous. [ 1913 Webster ]